Biogas upgrading and utilization as vehicle fuel

Margareta PerssonSwedish Gas Center

European Biogas Workshop

The Future of Biogas in Europe III

2007-06-14

Content

• Biogas as vehicle fuel

• Standard and requirements

• Upgrading methods

• Actors

• Incentives

• Conclusions

Biogas utilization

Heat

Electricity

Upgrading

Vehicle fuel

Gas grid

Organic waste

Crops Sludge

Flare

Biogas as vehicle fuel

Upgrading Compression Storage

Dispenser

Re-fueling

Grid

Gas vehicles

Gas vehicles

Source: Bertil Carlson Svensk Biogas

• Local gas grid

• Truck (containers)

• Natural gas grid

• LNG – in future?

Transport of biogas to filling stations

Biogas injection

• Mobilizes gas, locally ���� regionally and nationally

• Used whole year independent of local consumption

• Avoid flaring

• Increases security of supply locally

• Possible to use in all applications for natural gas

• Gas grid ���� back-up

Why clean and upgrade biogas?

• Requirement of gas applications• prevent mechanical wear

• prevent corrosion

• Rise calorific value of the gas• increase driving distance

• Standardization of the gas• even fuel quality

Treatment process

• Cleaning• particles

• water

• hydrogen sulphide

• Upgrading• carbon dioxide

Vehicle fuel - Swedish standard

• Clean particles < 1 µmwater < 32 mg/Nm3

sulphur < 23 mg/Nm3

oxygen < 1 vol %• Upgrade methane ~ 97 %

• Same standard used for injection into gas grid• Add about 8 % propane95, demand on water can be less strict

Upgrading plants in Sweden 2007

number of plants• Water wash

with regeneration 15 without 6

• PSA 7• Selexol ® 1• Amine scrubbing process 2

• Totally 31 plants• Biogas as vehicle fuel since 1992

Electricity

kWh electricity per Nm3 cleaned gas

0,15 i.u0,45-0,9 0,45-0,90,3-1,0Accordning

to suppliers

i.u0,4 0,4-0,6 0,3 0,5-0,6 Accordning

to plants

Chemical absorption

SelexolWater washWater wash regeneration

PSA

The need for electricity corresponds to 3-6 % ofthe energy content in the cleaned gas.

Source: SGC report 142

Treatment costs - biogas upgrading

Source: SGC report 142

Total cost1-2 €c/kWh

Methane losses

• Al techniques imply loss of methane

• Methane is a 20 times stronger green house gas than CO2

• Economical loss

• Water wash, PSA, Selexol max. 2 %

• Chemical absorption, max. 0,1-0,2 %

• Difficult to measure the loss

• CH4 can be combusted to reduce losses

• Voluntary agreement started in

Sweden 2007

Biogas as vehicle fuel in in Sweden

Delivered volumes of methane gas for vehicles

(Source: Swedish Gas Association)

0

5 000

10 000

15 000

20 000

25 000

30 000

35 000

40 000

45 000

50 000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

Volumes

* 1000 Nm3

Biogas

Natural gas

Total

Biogas 54 %!

Re-fuelling stations2006

Uppsala

Östersund

Boden

Source: FordonsGas Sverige

Actors

• Municipalities• Sewage treatment plants• Waste management • Local public transport authorities

• Government• Private companies

Incentives

• Investment support • 40 % reduction on valuation tax for company car users• No tax on fuel, only VAT• No congestion fees in Stockholm• 10 000 SEK bonus for cars

• Free parking in several cities• Biogas ~ 20-30 % lower price than for petrol

Increased interest in Europe - worldwide

• Germany, Austria set goals – 20 % biogas to CNG 2020• Switzerland > 35 % biogas al ready now

• > 6 million NGV worldwide

Opening of first biogas filling station in Germany – Jameln 2006

Conclusions

• Biogas – excellent vehicle fuel

• > 10 years experience of biogas as vehicle fuel in large scale

systems in Sweden

• Upgrading and distribution key-technologies

• Biogas upgrading is a mature technology (improvments possible)

• Injection into gas grid attractive possibility

• Incentives needed (tax exemption etc.)

Thank you for your attention!

Margareta Perssonmargareta.persson@sgc.se